Prep football: State-ranked Brunswick blasts young Pioneers

ELYRIA — Just a glance at the scoreboard should tell any Elyria High fan the enormity of the task facing first-year Pioneer football coach Steve Hamilton. It was especially evident Thursday night when the Pioneers took a 49-14 drubbing at the hands of state-ranked, undefeated Brunswick at Ely Stadium. In the face of a brutal schedule, which includes upcoming games against Solon and Strongsville, Hamilton and his staff have to nurture and hold together a youthful football team that is taking its lumps on the field — and one hard knock off. Just last Friday, after a loss to Parma, starting linebacker Travis Noble was the victim of a beating that probably ended his season. “It was tough,” Hamilton said, speaking of the Noble incident. “It took a little of our attention away.” The team hand-delivered a card to Noble and Thursday he was on the Elyria sideline. Unfortunately Elyria had no answers to deal with a Brunswick team that dominated the game in every phase. “It came out the way we drew it up,” said Brunswick coach Rich Nowak, whose team has won 21 in a row since a 49-42 loss on this field to the Pioneers in 2005. “We wanted to do this and this and this and we did it. The only blip on the radar screen was that kickoff return.” Brunswick took the opening kickoff and zipped 80 yards on six plays, taking just 1:06 off the clock. Sean Bedevelsky passed 19 yards to Chris Scott for the TD and Ivan Rogovic kicked the first of seven extra points. But Elyria tied it on the ensuing kickoff when Myke Martin took one back 79 yards and Tyler Almeida kicked the point. The rest of the half was Brunswick domination. The Blue Devils failed to score on just one first-half possession, outgaining Elyria 233-7 in the first quarter, 384-36 at halftime and 437-185 for the game. They averaged 11.2 yards a snap in the first half, rolling up a 49-7 lead. The Blue Devils scored four TDs on runs — one an 80-yard reverse by Jordan Gribble — two on passes and Ben Karaba’s 75-yard punt return. Nowak didn’t play his regulars after intermission. “Elyria is a young team,” he said. “You don’t want to beat on a young team. I know the feeling. I’ve been there.” “We’re a young team,” said Hamilton. “We have to keep learning and keep improving. We kept fighting. Even at halftime I didn’t seen our heads go down.” Elyria had a few bright moments in the second half, starting from its first play from scrimmage when Darian Robbins scored on a 75-yard run. “I liked what I saw from our JVs when they got into the game,” Hamilton said. “They did the little things right. But we have a tough schedule and each week we have to play our best football or it could get ugly quickly”

HOMECOMING ON TV: Elyria High’s homecoming football game isn’t generally played on a Thursday night, but this odd scheduling of this year’s ceremonies came with a benefit: It was on television, FSN Ohio did the telecast Thursday of the Elyria-Brunswick game with Jeff Phelps and former Cathedral Latin star Gary Jeter was mikeside. Mandy Emerson and Steve Mitcheff were crowned queen and king prior to kickoff. Contact Roger Negin at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.